The Samsung Wave 578 was announced as one of the devices that Orange will be offering which packs in NFC. We tracked down the elusive little phone at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona.

In the hand the Samsung Wave 578 is reminiscent of entry- or mid-level devices we’ve seen from Samsung in the past. With the Samsung Galaxy S II also offering NFC, the Bada-based Wave 578 will present a more affordable alternative.

The Samsung Wave 578 offers up a great 3.2-inch display, and although smaller than many rivals, we found it to be clear and vibrant. There is a 3.2-megapixel camera around the back (unfortunately hidden by the security tag in our shots).

The NFC component, which to be honest is what we were interested in, can be found under the back cover. There is a corresponding app that will let you set-up the phone for all your new NFC tags.

In reality though, we’re still waiting to see exactly what services will be offered and exactly how they will operate. Orange has outlined a commitment to NFC in 2011, and previously detailed a partnership with Barclaycard to offer wireless payments.

We already know that NFC services will be in limited Orange territories (UK, France, Spain, Poland) initially, so for now it’s a case of wait and see.